Using Employee Monitoring to Enhance Onboarding for New Hires

Hiring a new talent is an investment, and it is in the company's best interests to secure that investment. The initial weeks and months are crucial: it is when the new hire decides to stay or continue their search for better options. Statistics say that 20% of newly employed quit within the first 45 days, and 10% of those who leave do so specifically because of a poor onboarding experience. But how do we know what the new employee experiences during this time? Traditional onboarding methods are often like a shot in the dark. We take standard practices, apply them universally, and cross our fingers that they work.

Is there a way to gain clearer insights, offer targeted support, and enhance onboarding for every new talent? The answer to this question is employee monitoring. Tracking data is a valuable source of information about the new hire's potential problems in the new workplace, their knowledge gaps, and the support they may need.

Traditional onboarding practices, although well-intended, often fall short of their mark. They lack real-time feedback and ways to see a new hire's struggles. Does the person truly understand how to use the unknown software? Are they comfortable asking questions, or do they keep their confusion to themselves? Identifying these struggles becomes a reactive, rather than proactive, practice without a clear window into their daily experiences.

Lack of understanding of the new hire's experiences leads to inconsistent and ineffective training and support. A standardized approach does not account for individual learning styles and current knowledge and experience. What works for one may not work for another. Besides, with standard practices, it is challenging to identify and address individual knowledge gaps before they impact productivity.

The result? New talents can feel unsupported, confused, and overwhelmed. When onboarding fails to provide adequate support and a clear path to success, even the most promising talent can quickly disengage and look for opportunities elsewhere.

What do we imagine when we hear the phrase "employee monitoring"? Most probably, some intrusive spy that immediately alerts the manager if you stop working for one minute. However, this picture is exaggerated, outdated, and far from modern ethical monitoring practices.

In its modern application, particularly regarding talent development and support, employee monitoring refers to gathering data on work-related activities, software usage, and communication patterns. The distinction is in the purpose: employee monitoring is no more about punitive oversight. It has become a tool for tracking work patterns, their analysis, finding learning opportunities, and proactive support.

Monitoring can provide valuable insights that can significantly enhance onboarding. First, performance metrics, such as progress on assigned tasks, task completion rates, and adherence to established workflows clearly indicate the new hire's knowledge, skills, and efficiency.

Analyzing app and website usage data can reveal knowledge gaps. What applications the new hire uses, for how long, and what information they search for online can highlight areas where they need additional training or guidance.

Monitoring the new employee's participation in team communication and the type of questions they ask indicates how comfortable they are asking for assistance and how their integration into the team goes.

Finally, seeing how much time the new hire spends on training resources or particular job functions may hint at where they experience difficulties. Or it may be a sign that the training itself is inefficient and could be optimized.

Traditional onboarding strategies are often based on assumptions, subjective observations, and universal approaches. Onboarding strategies powered by ethical employee monitoring are based on concrete, actionable information and, consequently, more effective.

So, as we can see, employee monitoring gives managers a clear view of the new hire's first steps in the company and allows them to notice issues before they escalate. Here is how it can enhance the onboarding process.

As mentioned earlier, companies usually use a one-size-fits-all approach during the onboarding. With employee monitoring data, HR specialists and managers pinpoint exactly where new hires struggle or, conversely, excel and tailor their onboarding strategy accordingly. For example, if they see the person struggling with a particular software feature or aspect of work, they can provide targeted tutorials or assign a mentor. In other words, managers can create personalized learning paths optimized for the new talent's individual needs.

Employee monitoring is the ideal source of information for real-time feedback and coaching. Problems in the new hire's workflow become visible right as they happen, not weeks later during a performance review. It allows managers to provide feedback and immediate support. As a result, the new employee learns faster, gains confidence, and feels the company is committed to their success.

Monitoring can revealsigns of disengagement and frustration. These signs can be prolonged idle periods or non-work-related activity, missed deadlines that go unreported, and lower engagement in team discussions. Tracking allows managers to notice these signals early and reach out to the employee with support before small issues multiply into a reason to leave.

One of the goals employee monitoring tools are designed for is objective performance assessments. It is valuable not only for existing employees but for new hires, too. Human observation may be subjective, while performance metrics are not. They provide a clear, unbiased view of a new hire's progress against established benchmarks, celebrate achievements, and provide support when necessary.

Monitoring provides valuable data not only about the integration process of new talent but also about the effectiveness of the onboarding program itself. Analysis of collective data from several new hires will show which training materials are most effective and which require corrections and reworking. Managers will see which onboarding activities yield the best results and where the resources could be reallocated. As a result, companies can create onboarding programs that truly work and ensure their time, finances, and resources are well-spent.

All these benefits coalesce into a significant advantage: accelerated time-to-proficiency. Employee monitoring makes it easy to identify ongoing issues and learning needs. It facilitates timely support and helps optimize training. As a result, employee monitoring significantly reduces the time it takes for new hires to become fully competent and productive members of your team. Both the new hire and the company benefit from it: the employee develops confidence and mastery, and the business gets a tangible return on investment through faster integration and contribution.

An effective onboarding program is necessary to win the war for talent: it can improve employee retention by as much as 82%! As we have explored, strategic and ethical employee monitoring can significantly enhance onboarding. With it, managers can move beyond the traditional, one-size-fits-all approach and make onboarding personalized, proactive, and, consequently, more effective. A well-supported, effectively onboarded new hire is not just a statistic; they are a productive, engaged, and loyal employee poised to contribute significantly to your company's success.